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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27995568">Post Apocalyptic Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterSnowflake/pseuds/BitterSnowflake'>BitterSnowflake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tom Hiddleston - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:42:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27995568</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterSnowflake/pseuds/BitterSnowflake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After three generations of living inside of vault 181, the era of expeditions into the wasteland has finally come. Young scientist Rory Waters is more than eager to join in on the fun together with her colleague and boss, Doctor Thomas Hiddleston. There is only one problem, Rory is a fertile and childless woman in her mid-twenties. In order to be able to go out on an expedition, she has to promise the research board that she will provide them with a child afterwards. There is only one man in the entire vault that Rory can imagine having children with...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tom Hiddleston/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Miss Troublemaker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Most people called her selfish, and maybe she was. But there was something very captivating about her. She was free-spirited and outspoken, which were rare and unappreciated traits within the vault, and something that had gotten her into trouble more times than she could count. Tom smiled to himself as he recalled how he in the past had heard stories about the girl’s escapades and her reluctance to respect her authorities. He had dreaded the day she was to set foot in his lab as his apprentice and he had seriously considered refusing to take her on, like all of his colleagues had before him. But after a lot of consideration, he had finally decided that he would do what no one else was willing to do, and that was to give the girl a fair chance to prove herself.</p><p>It had now been almost seven years since he first let the girl into his lab and he felt like he had made the right decision. Of course she was still the same rebellious person she had been seven years ago, but over the years she had proven herself to be a promising scientist and the way she kept questioning things was one of her qualities that brought their research forward. She was like a fresh gust of air whirling things up around her, oftentimes causing chaos, but once the chaos had died down, there were often precious moments of clarity contributing to their research.</p><p>“Is it true?” Rory asked eagerly as she burst into the lab, twenty minutes late.</p><p>“Is what true?” Tom wondered, giving her a look of disapproval when she jumped up to sit on the counter. No matter how many times he had asked her not to sit there, she insisted on repeating the action almost on a daily basis. Rory took a big bite of the carrot she had brought with her and chewed for a long time before she answered his question. That was another thing about her that annoyed him. She would insist on eating inside the lab even though she knew very well that it was a violation of the laboratory’s code of conduct and safety.</p><p>“Are they really sending people out again?” Rory asked excitedly.</p><p>“Yes,” Tom replied, having a pretty good idea as to where the conversation was heading.</p><p>“Are they sending scientists this time too?” she asked hopefully.</p><p>“I don’t know yet,” Tom replied truthfully.</p><p>“If they do, will you put in a good word for me?” Rory requested. Tom raised an eyebrow at her. She was a childless, fertile woman in her mid-twenties. There was no way they were going to send her out into the wasteland; her womb was much too valuable for that. She knew that as well as he did, and yet she seemed to believe that she actually had a chance at making the research team.</p><p>“I’ll see what I can do,” Tom told her.</p><p>…</p><p>“Is it true that you are going outside the vault?” Rory asked after bursting into the lab. Tom was startled and nearly dropped the test tube he was holding. She was on time for once. He hadn’t been expecting her for at least another twenty minutes.</p><p>“It’s not decided yet,” Tom replied as he carefully put the test tube in place.</p><p>“I assume you’ll need an assistant, doctor,” Rory said and Tom sighed. She only called him by his title when she wanted him to do something for her.</p><p>“I might,” he told her. “But like I said, nothing is decided yet.”</p><p>“Take me with you!” Rory exclaimed excitedly.</p><p>“Pardon?” Tom replied, not having expected her to be quite as straightforward.</p><p>“I want to go with you,” Rory told him ardently. “I've been your assistant for years now. I'm qualified enough. Please, let me go with you,” she pleaded.</p><p>“But you don’t have any children yet,” Tom objected and frowned at her. “You know that it’s not possible for me to take you with me. Your life is far too precious for that.”</p><p>“I am a woman, not a breeding animal,” Rory huffed and crossed her arms. “And what about your life? Isn't your life precious?”</p><p>“Not as precious as yours. I’m disposable,” Tom told her truthfully. “You, on the other hand, is not. You’re needed here. It is your duty to keep the human race alive,” he reminded her. She was being selfish and selfishness had no place in this new world. It was what they had been taught since childhood; the needs of the human race must be prioritised over the needs of the individual.</p><p>“And what about what I want? Doesn’t that mean anything?” Rory questioned. Tom sighed, knowing that she had had this conversation plenty of times before with the ethics committee. </p><p>“If your opinion hadn’t meant anything, you would be rearing children right now instead of working in the lab alongside me,” Tom reminded her. The higher ups had been unusually lenient with her about her refusal to have children.</p><p>“You don’t have any children,” Rory remarked.</p><p>“What are you getting at?” Tom asked her impatiently. He couldn’t work when she kept bombarding him with questions and arguments.</p><p>“If you let me come with you, I’ll agree to have your children,” Rory said. Tom looked at her with surprise. Rory was a highly sought after woman, mostly because of her refusal to have children with just about any man. A lot of men in the vault appreciated a challenge in a world where girls were raised to become mothers and having many children was regarded as a status symbol. Tom had heard talk amongst the men about conquering and taming Rory the Rebel, as they liked to call her, and supposed that most men would jump at the opportunity of having children with her.</p><p>“You know that’s it’s not for me to decide whether you can come with me or not,” Tom told her seriously. “You know as well as I do that it’s against the rules. If a fertile woman should be allowed near anything potentially dangerous, she has to have at least two healthy children first,” he reminded her. “This is about our race’s survival - you have to put that over your own selfish desires.”</p><p>“So you don’t want to have children with me then, doctor?” Rory asked disappointedly.</p><p>“That’s not at all what I said,” Tom objected.</p><p>“I will refuse to have children with anyone but you,” Rory said and he looked at her with surprise.</p><p>“You will have to bring that up with the higher ups,” Tom told her.</p><p>“No, Tom,” Rory pleaded, seemingly a bit desperate. “You are well respected and they will listen to you. Please, convince them that you need me to come with you out there. That’s all I want,” she told him ardently. “If I get to come with you, I promise I will be more cooperative and do my part for the human race. But first, I want to see what has become of the world. I want to see what the real sky looks like, and the sun, and if possible, even the sea. If I get to go outside of this vault at least once, then I’ll be happy to do my part for the greater good.”</p><p>“So you want to have my children? No one else’s?” Tom asked amusedly, smiling at her naïvety. Did she really think she would get her wish?</p><p>“If they give me what I want, I’ll give them what they want,” she argued.</p><p>“And what about what I want?” Tom questioned amusedly.</p><p>“You have yet to tell me what you want. Of course I don’t want you to do anything against your will,” Rory reasoned.</p><p>“It would have been more flattering if you would have wanted to have my children without all those demands,” Tom told her truthfully, causing her to smile one of her mischievous smiles that he both adored and feared so much.</p><p>“Well, I’m not here to flatter you,” she said in a businesslike tone. “Do you agree to this or not?”</p><p>“I agree to have children with you, if you so wish,” Tom replied with a smile. “I’ll ask the high ups, but I can’t promise you anything, miss troublemaker.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Research Board</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rory stood straight backed before the research board as they were about to decide her fate. Next to her was doctor Thomas Hiddleston, her boss for the last seven years, and the best man she knew. They had presented their errand, and Tom had done most of the talking to better her chances of becoming a part of the research team they were about to send out into the wastelands. The members of the board had sent them out to talk amongst themselves and Rory and Tom had just been let back inside office.</p><p>“As a member of the ethics board, my main concern is that you are a fertile woman who does not yet have any children,” a woman spoke. She was in her fifties and dressed in the same blue suit as her colleagues, and her long black hair was neatly put in a tight bun. “Why do you think we should make an exception just for you, miss Waters?”</p><p>“Well, miss Nelson, as I said before. I will be more than happy to provide the new world with children, once I’ve seen what’s become of it,” Rory replied, trying to sound respectful.</p><p>“You should be more compliant with the rules and regulations of the vault without making such demands. What makes you so special that we should make an exception just for you?”</p><p>“My stubbornness, I suppose, Miss Nelson,” Rory replied with a shrug, causing Tom to bite his lip to suppress a smile.</p><p>“You are very stubborn, indeed, Miss Waters. But in my opinion such a trait should not be rewarded,” miss Nelson replied.</p><p>“With all due respect, miss Nelson,” Tom interjected politely. “I believe Miss Waters’ stubbornness is a trait that has brought our research forward over the last seven years. Also her way of questioning things is also something that has contributed to our research. Guided by a firm hand, I believe Miss Waters has the potential to excel as a scientist and contribute to the very important research of how to make this world inhabitual again.”</p><p>“And would that firm hand be you, Doctor Hiddleston?” Miss Nelson questioned as she looked inquiringly at him.</p><p>“I believe so, Miss Nelson. After all, I have been able to deal with miss Waters for the last seven years, so I believe I might be the best candidate for the job,” Tom told her.</p><p>“I don’t doubt that, Doctor Hiddleston,” Miss Nelson replied. “But the problem of childlessness still stands. If word spreads that we are letting fertile childless women out to the wasteland, risking their valuable lives, who knows what kind of ideas that would put into young girls’ heads?”</p><p>“But you are sending childless men out into the wastelands,” Rory objected stubbornly. “It’s unfair. As a woman, I should have the right to say no to have children.”</p><p>“You have practised that right for years now, Miss Waters. It’s about time you contribute to the survival of the human species,” Miss Nelson said firmly. She seemed annoyed by the girl’s insolence of questioning the rules so casually. </p><p>“I will do just that, if you would just give me the chance to prove myself worthy as a scientist and send me out into the wastelands to collect some samples. It’s only a one day expedition. As soon as I get back, I will try to have children with Doctor Hiddleston. He has good genes and I am willing to pass them down,” Rory told Miss Nelson ardently. </p><p>“Provided you get what you want first?” Miss Nelson questioned irritably.</p><p>“Provided I get what I want first,” Rory confirmed.</p><p>“If it was only up to me to decide, I would say no,” Miss Nelson informed her decidedly. “But the research board has made a decision. Doctor Morris, would you be so kind as to present Miss Waters and Doctor Hiddleston with the decision that’s been made here today?”</p><p>“I’d be more than happy to, Miss Nelson,” Doctor Morris replied in a draggy voice. He was a man in his late sixties who spoke deliberately and slowly, but had surprisingly alert brown eyes. “Miss Waters, the research board has decided to grant your wish and let you out on the one day expedition of field research. The decision is entirely based on Doctor Hiddleston's testimony of how irreplaceable you are to him. We presuppose that he will make sure to keep you in line for the duration of the expedition, won’t you, Doctor Hiddleston?”</p><p>“Of course, Doctor Morris,” Tom assured him. “You have my word that I will do everything in my power to keep Miss Waters safe and focused as we fulfill our mission.”</p><p>“I’m happy to hear that, Doctor Hiddleston,” Doctor Morris replied before turning to Rory. “We do however have one condition, Miss Waters, and that is that you stay true to your word and produce a child the moment you get back.”</p><p>“Thank you, sir. I’ll be more than happy to provide you with a child once I get back from the expedition,” Rory replied excitedly. The seemingly impossible had just been made possible thanks to her boss.</p><p>“That went better than expected,” Tom told Rory once they had left the office and was heading back to the lab. Rory happily threw her arms around him, smiling up at him.</p><p>“I’m so happy I could kiss you right now, Tom!” Rory exclaimed excitedly. “But that will have to wait until after the expedition,” she added, let go of him and ran the remainder of the way to the lab.</p><p>Tom sighed as he continued to walk calmly towards the lab. He wondered for a moment if he had made a mistake of convincing the research board that Rory should come with him. He had never really considered that they might actually say yes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Collecting Samples</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a simple expedition, really. It was seven o'clock in the morning and they were just going to head out into the wastelands of former London, collect some samples and then get back inside vault 181. It would only take a few hours. Tom had a hard time understanding why Rory would trade something as brief as a couple of hours outside the vault for a lifetime of responsibility for a child she didn’t seem interested in having. Maybe it was because she had come to realise that she couldn’t go on like she had before, that she decided to try to have one last chance of deciding one major thing in her life. To Tom, it was just another job, but to Rory, it was apparently so much more. One last chance at freedom before the shackles of parenthood got her.</p><p>No, it wasn’t quite as dramatic as that to have children in the vault. Not anymore. Most children were in fact raised collectively, and the bond between parents and child had become weaker for every generation. It was a sad development, Tom thought. He had been raised by his mother and had an unusually close bond to her. He had always fantasised about being close to his own children if he should ever have any. He had to talk to Rory about that, he thought with a sigh. He had to tell her about his wish of raising his children of his own, and not collectively, which was the most common option nowadays. Considering Rory’s unwillingness to have children up until now, Tom assumed that she wanted their child to be raised collectively, like she had been herself.</p><p>Rory smiled at Tom as they put on the protective suits along with the other people who were heading out for the expedition. He returned the smile before they put their masks on. They had eight hours before they absolutely needed to head back to the vault. They were at risk for radiation sickness and had to keep a close watch on each other and be wary of the signs.</p><p>Once they got out of the vault, Rory ran out into the unknown with Tom in tow.</p><p>“Damn it, Rory! Wait up!” he called firmly after her as he carried all of their equipment. “I’m never taking you out with me again if you do that again,” he told her sternly as he finally caught up with her after she had come to a stop. The sky was covered with dark clouds and there was no sight of the sun shining through them. They were simply too thick. Tom felt bad for Rory, the poor girl had probably expected the world outside the vault to be beautiful and full of sunlight, but was met by this sad sight of destruction and wasteland.</p><p>“I can’t believe we’re outside!” Rory told him excitedly. She didn’t seem all that bothered by the lack of sun and beauty. “I suppose we can’t see the ocean?” she asked with a naïve hopefulness.</p><p>“No,” Tom told her firmly and handed her one of the bags. Had she never seen a map of London and England? “It’s much too far away and we’ve got work to do, remember?” he reminded her.</p><p>“Right,” Rory replied somewhat disappointedly, but seemed to accept her role in all this. She was there to do her work, not sight-see the world outside the vault.</p><p>“Look for any sign of vegetation and collect every sample you can get,” Tom instructed. “We should also look for soil and water.” Rory nodded eagerly and walked off with the research bag in her hand.</p><p>The two of them walked a dozen metres away from each other, trying to find samples. It was hardly a stimulating job for restless brains such as Rory’s, Tom thought and threw glances over at her every now and then to see if she showed any signs of radiation sickness.</p><p>“I found some grass!” Rory called out excitedly after a while and took out a test tube from her bag to put the grass in.</p><p>“Grab a soil sample as well,” Tom reminded her and made sure to watch as she took out a second test tube from the bag. He himself had only found dry, infertile looking soil, and was happy about her contribution. Perhaps it wasn’t a mistake of bringing her along after all? She did have an eye for details, which he had told the research board, and it proved to be valuable in this rather uneventful sample collecting expedition.</p><p>“How much time do we have left?” Rory asked after a few hours of uneventful searching for samples that may prove useful in their research on how to make the world liveable again.</p><p>“We have five hours left until we have to be back at the absolute latest,” Tom informed her after glancing at the watch that had been attached to his arm outside of the protective suit. “Are you getting bored yet?” he asked, suspecting that was the case.</p><p>“Not at all!” Rory replied with the same enthusiasm as she had had at the beginning of their field trip. “I don’t want to get back until we absolutely have to,” she told him.</p><p>“It’s your first time, we really should get back in an hour. That’s the recommended time limit for a first timer,” he informed her. “You already know this, Rory, because I’ve gone through this with you before we headed out.”</p><p>“I know,” Rory replied and sighed heavily. “But this may be my only time outside the vault and I want to make the most of it. I think I deserve eight hours if I’m going to raise a child for the next sixteen years, don’t you think?”</p><p>Tom looked at her with surprise. “Did you just say that you’re going to raise the child yourself?”</p><p>“Yes, of course. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Rory told him as if it was obvious. “That’s why I wanted to wait, because I wanted to be ready to take on the responsibility. I know what it’s like to be raised collectively, and it’s not fun. It can be pretty lonely, you know. I want to make sure my child has someone to talk to whenever it needs it. And I won’t ever lay a hand on my child when it does something bad, I will talk to it instead. Corporal punishment is a horrible way to correct someone’s behaviour. It just makes them better at hiding their mischief, not teaching them to stop it.”</p><p>“I suppose you should know all about that,” Tom told her with a sad smile. She was still full of mischief despite being raised so harshly. “Would you like to raise the child together with me?” he asked her hopefully.</p><p>“If you want to, Tom. I would love for the child to have both a mother and a father if possible. It’s so unusual these days,” Rory replied with a smile.</p><p>“Then it’s decided,” Tom said cheerfully. He felt so relieved and happy that they had come to an understanding. He wouldn’t have to be a single father, but the child would have two parents.</p><p>“Would you like to go monogamous with me?” Rory then asked him. Tom raised an eyebrow at her in surprise. He had never even thought about it.</p><p>“You mean you want to get married?” Tom questioned unsurely.</p><p>“If you want to,” Rory replied with a shrug. “It’s not like I’m much for sleeping around anyhow, at least not with men.”</p><p>“Do you sleep around with women?” Tom asked curiously.</p><p>“It happens,” Rory told him unabashedly. “But if we were to get married I would stop that, of course. That’s the whole point of monogamy, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Of course,” Tom agreed, smiling sheepishly as he found himself briefly imagining himself together with Rory and another woman.</p><p>“Or if you like to be with more than one woman, we could still get married and have a polyamourous relationship. I’d be up for that,” Rory told him unabashedly. Tom smiled embarrassedly in response.</p><p>“Let’s take first things first, we still need to collect some samples,” he told her.</p><p>“Right,” Rory replied and got up from the rock she had been sitting on during their break.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. That's Not Good</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The hours passed by surprisingly quickly as Tom and Rory kept searching for samples. They were chatting a little during their walk through the wasteland and got to know each other a bit better. They spoke mostly about their childhoods and their expectations when it came to parenthood. They both agreed never to hit their children, which was something Tom had never even considered doing seeing as his mother never laid a hand on him growing up. He hadn’t realised that it was such a common practise in the collective raising of the children in the vault. But being a bit of a troublemaker, Rory had apparently got to experience it more times than she could count.</p>
<p>After being persuaded by Rory, Tom decided to extend the expedition from four to eight hours. Despite better knowing. He knew that it could have negative consequences with the research board, seeing as it exceeded their set time limit and went against their recommendations when it came to first timers leaving the vault. But at the moment, Tom didn’t care about the eventual consequences. He enjoyed watching Rory’s excitement upon discovering something new, seemingly insignificant about the outside world. She was in fact a delight to have with him on the expedition and he sadly wished that she didn’t have to become pregnant, because then it would take a while until they could go on another expedition together.</p>
<p>While he wanted to go on more expeditions with Rory, Tom also found himself fantasising about their upcoming family life together. He really looked forward to becoming her husband and the father of her child. His mother would be so proud of him for following in her footsteps of raising his child himself. And she would be even more delighted upon finding out that her grandchild would not only have one, but two parents to rely upon.</p>
<p>When they eventually had to head back towards the vault, Rory did so with footsteps as heavy as her heart. She didn’t want to leave, she didn’t want her little adventure to end just yet. She had been looking forward to and dreaming of this moment ever since childhood, and now it was already over. Tears ran down her face as she took one last look at the world outside the vault before heading in.</p>
<p>“You were supposed to be back four hours ago! We even sent out a patrol go find you!” a bald man scolded them angrily before letting them proceed to go through the process of removing the protective suits. Tom mumbled a humble apology and made sure to keep his head down.</p>
<p>“Then the patrol must have done a lousy job at finding us, because we sure didn’t see them,” Rory muttered. Tom shut his eyes and sighed at her insolence. Why was it that she could never keep her mouth shut?</p>
<p>“One more snarky comment like that, Miss Waters, and I’ll send you up to Mister Cavill’s office to be disciplined! I don’t care if you’re a grown up, you never seem to learn when to keep your mouth shut!” the angry man shouted at her.</p>
<p>Rory couldn’t help but smile cheekily at him in response. She liked Mister Cavill. Unlike his predecessor, he was very reasonable and would often let her off with a warning and a strict talking to. She sometimes even looked forward to their little talks, and wished that he would have been the disciplinarian back when she was a child and got in trouble.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Commander Fowler,” Rory replied with a mischievous grin. “If I were you, I would worry more about my men. What if you have to send out another patrol in order to recover them? And then another, and then another, until you no one left to send out than your own sorry ass.”</p>
<p>Tom’s mouth fell slightly open as he looked at Rory incredulously. Was he really planning on marrying this troublemaker of a woman?</p>
<p>“That’s it! Doctor Hiddleston, would you follow this young lady up to Mister Cavill’s office and make sure she repeats to him exactly what she said just now? I want to see every word properly recorded in her records,” Commander Fowler instructed. Tom nodded silently in response. “Also, make sure to tell Mister Cavill that I expect him to be real thorough this time.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Commander Fowler,” Tom replied and grabbed Rory’s upper arm to give the impression that he too was cross with her. He kind of was actually, after seeing how she so deliberately and insolently insultet the commander. She certainly had been asking for trouble, and now she got it. “What the hell were you thinking?” Tom demanded and let go of Rory’s upper arm once they were out of hearing from Commander Fowler.</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Rory replied with an amused grin. “I suppose I just wanted to see the look on his stupid face.”</p>
<p>“Aren’t you the least bothered by the fact that you’re now going to be disciplined because of it?” Tom questioned confusedly. “After all that talk of how horrible corporal punishment is, I would certainly expect you to be more bothered.”</p>
<p>“Mister Cavill is really not that bad,” Rory assured him unconcernedly. “He will probably give me a strict talking to and let me off with a warning like he usually does.”</p>
<p>“How many warnings have you had?” Tom questioned with a sigh.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, they’re too many to count,” Rory replied with a shrug.</p>
<p>“That’s not good, Miss Waters,” Tom told her seriously. “That’s not good at all. You need to learn how to respect your authorities if you expect me to marry you. Because this kind of behaviour is too immature for my taste.”</p>
<p>“Then don’t marry me,” Rory said irritably.</p>
<p>“I never said I wouldn’t marry you,” Tom objected. “I just want you to think more before you speak, and to be more careful around those in positions of power. Otherwise you’ll keep getting in trouble.”</p>
<p>“I know, I know,” Rory sighed. “So Mister Cavill keeps telling me.” She then smiled brightly at Tom. “So you will still marry me?”</p>
<p>“Yes, if you promise to behave,” Tom said and looked at her tenderly. He cared so much for her.</p>
<p>“I’ll behave,” Rory told him. She put a hand on his muscular chest and leaned in to whisper suggestively into his ear. “Unless you want me to be bad. Then I can be very, very bad for you, doctor Hiddleston.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Disciplinarian's Office</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tom shook his head amusedly at Rory’s habit of getting herself into trouble. It became so apparent how different she was from the other girl’s their age as they sat down in the waiting outside the disciplinarian’s office. The other visitors were children, some accompanied by grown ups, or adolescents, all of which considerably younger than Rory. It was a bizarre experience for Tom to sit outside the disciplinarian’s office with his soon to be wife, just to make sure that she didn’t try to escape from whatever punishment Mister Cavill would have in store for her.</p><p>Mister Cavill sighed heavily and shook his head upon seeing Rory in his waiting room.</p><p>“You can come back in an hour, Miss Waters, so you don’t have to sit around and wait here with all the children,” he informed her.</p><p>“Thanks, Mister Cavill,” Rory replied with a grin as she got out of her seat.</p><p>“Then I suppose we could head to the canteen for a meal,” Tom suggested. Rory nodded agreeingly.</p><p>They ate in silence until Tom noticed how Rory was not eating but picking at her food as though she was deeply bothered by something. He wanted to cheer her up.</p><p>“What’s wrong, Miss Waters? Don’t you like the food?” he asked, causing her to snort at his bad joke. Reflecting over whether you enjoyed the taste of the food you were rationed was merely a waste of time and a luxury of the past. Her entire life, Rory had been constantly reminded to be grateful for what she was given and chided when displaying any signs of discontent. There simply was no room for that kind of behaviour in this new world.</p><p>Rory picked up the fork and began eating from her plate. She had been in deep thought and forgotten all about how hungry she really was. Once the plate was emptied she looked around the canteen with its metal walls, ceiling, tables and chairs. They all had the same boring colour of grey. She sighed heavily as she thought about the world outside the vault, it had been pretty grey too, but in an open way that didn’t give her that unpleasant claustrophobic feeling as the insides of the vault did. She wanted to get out there again. She had to get out there again, she thought.</p><p>“We should probably head back to Mister Cavill’s office now,” Tom informed her after an hour had passed. Rory nodded and got out of her seat, taking the metal tray with her.</p><p>Inside of Mister Cavill’s office, Tom noticed an unmistakable chemistry between Mister Cavill and Rory. They shared knowing smiles as Rory slumped down in one of the seats by the desk.</p><p>“So, Miss Waters, what brings you here today?” Mister Cavill questioned in a businesslike tone, leaning slightly forward in his seat behind the desk to look at her through his thick rimmed glasses. He was very muscular, but his gentle ways made him considerably less threatening than he would have been otherwise.</p><p>Rory smiled amusedly as she motioned to Tom. “I believe Doctor Hiddleston should tell the story, seeing as Commander Fowler told him to escort me here,” Rory replied.</p><p>“Commander Fowler, huh?” Mister Cavill said with a heavy sigh as he looked at Rory. “You know he’ll want proof, right?” he informed her. “That’s why he sent Doctor Hiddleston with you, so he’d have a witness for the administration of your punishment.” </p><p>“A witness?” Tom questioned uneasily. He certainly didn’t want to see Rory get beaten. Especially not after all the awful stories she had told him about it throughout the day.</p><p>“Yes, a witness,” Mister Cavill said and looked at Tom thoughtfully, as though he was trying to read him. “But to judge by the look on your face, you want Miss Waters to be caned as little as I do,” he continued with a smile. “In fact, you make the perfect witness, Doctor Hiddleston, because you’re considered a reliable and conscientious person. We could use that to our advantage. Don’t you think, Miss Waters?”</p><p>“You can call me Rory in front of him, Henry,” Rory told him happily. “This is Tom, my fiance, I think?”</p><p>“Yes, I suppose I am,” Tom realised and smiled embarrassedly as he looked at her ringless hand. “I should probably get you a ring,” he added.</p><p>“I would like that very much,” Rory replied with a wide smile and turned to look at Henry. “Can you believe this, Henry? I’m getting married! The plan is that we’re going to have children and raise them together, not collectively like you and I got raised, but as a real family,” she told him excitedly.</p><p>“I’m so happy for you. Congratulations, Rory,” Henry told her and walked around his desk to give her a proper hug. “But you should have just come and told me that without pissing off Commander Fowler first. Now we both have to spend the next couple of days acting like I caned you,” told her with a sigh. “I hate it when you glare at me.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ve been told I’m pretty good at that,” Rory replied with a smile. “I’m sorry, Henry. But we can’t act like we’re friends outside of here, because then they’ll get suspicious and possibly ruin everything you have worked so hard to achieve.”</p><p>“I know. The number one troublemaker can’t be friends with the disciplinarian who allegedly gives her beatings on a regular basis,” Henry said sadly and parted from her to look at her properly. “I’m sorry I can only see you when you’re in trouble.”</p><p>“Me too,” Rory said regretfully. “But at least we see each other quite regularly.”</p><p>“It’s not a good thing that you still get sent here on a regular basis, Rory. You’re too old for this,” he told her seriously before turning to face Tom. He shook his hand. “Congratulations on your engagement, Doctor Hiddleston. As you already know, she’s a handful, but she’s also one of the best people I know.”</p><p>“Awwh, thank you, Henry. The feeling is mutual,” Rory told him, placing a hand above her heart as she looked at him tenderly.</p><p>“I promise I’ll take good care of her,” Tom assured Henry as he walked back to his desk.</p><p>“You better,” Henry told him seriously “She’s like a little sister to me.” He looked at Tom for a moment before cracking a smile that made Tom even more nervous. The smile didn’t look genuine.</p><p>They spent the rest of the time in Henry’s office talking about details of how Tom and Rory should act to convince everyone that Tom had just seen her get severely caned by Henry. The attention to detail in the story of the alleged caning made Tom feel sick to his stomach. Was this really how people were being treated within the vault? He felt bad not having had any idea how bad things really got for those who couldn’t or wouldn’t keep their heads down and stay in line.</p><p>Tom also felt a sense of pride for becoming a confidant when it came to Rory and Henry’s plan to change things from the inside. Henry had set out to become a disciplinarian solely because he wanted to change how badly children and adolescents were being treated. He would actually talk and listen to the troublemakers rather than hitting them, like he was instructed to do.</p><p>As the two of them left the disciplinarian’s office, Tom looked at Rory with a new found interest and wondered what else he might not know about her. The more he thought about it, the more he realised how little he really knew about the free-spirited woman walking beside him.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. First Night Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the extended working day finally came to an end, Rory and Tom both hesitated when it was time to head back to their respective living quarters. Rory smiled at Tom as she took his hand in hers and interlaced their fingers. They began walking in the direction of their living quarters, but Rory wouldn’t let go of his hand when it was time for him to take a turn to the right. Instead she dragged him with her towards her living space. It was humbly decorated, slightly messy and considerably smaller than his place.</p><p>“So,” Rory said and smiled cheekily at him as she removed his jacket for him and put it on a hook by the door. She grabbed him by the tie and pulled him with her towards the narrow bed. “Should we get started on making that baby?” she asked him in a whisper and pulled him on top of her on the bed before finally letting go of his tie.</p><p>Tom found himself looking at her in astonishment for a moment. Her boldness never ceased to amaze him. He sat on the narrow bed with his knees on each side of Rory’s body, and untied his tie as she began to eagerly unbutton his shirt. She touched his bare chest and smiled sinisterly as he leaned over her for a kiss. She lustfully deepened the kiss and began fumbling with his belt.</p><p>They made love, but the bed was so uncomfortably narrow that it was difficult to find a good position to lay in, so eventually the duvet, pillows and blankets ended up on the floor, and Tom and Rory with them. Rory smiled warmly at Tom as he laid there next to her on the floor after their love making session.</p><p>“Do you think I’m pregnant yet?” she asked him amusedly as he reached out to gently brush her dark hair to the side.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Tom laughed. “It’s way too early to tell. But the chances of getting pregnant increases the days before ovulation. Do you know when you’re ovulating?”</p><p>“No, am I supposed to know that?” Rory frowned, then smiled as Tom shook his head at her. He was apparently not surprised. “I’m new on this trying to get a baby thing,” she defended herself.</p><p>“Well, I’ve read that if you listen to your body, you might notice the signs of ovulation,” Tom explained. “Your body temperature might rise slightly,” he said, gently touching her forehead. He then let his hands slide down to touch her breasts and squeezed them gently. “You may experience breast tenderness.” He then let his hand travel down to touch her stomach. Rory moaned softly at his touch. “You may experience a temporary sharp pain in your lower abdomen.” This time his hand went down to stop right between her legs. “Or you may experience increased sexual desire.” Rory grinned at him in response and put her hand on top of his to prevent him from removing it.</p><p>“Touch me,” she whispered softly into his ear and gently nibbled his earlobe. “Make me come.”</p><p>“You’re such a naughty girl, aren’t you?” Tom asked with a wide grin and kissed her passionately as he continued to touch her.</p><p>“Oh... yes,” Rory moaned and bucked her hips to give him better access to touch her. “Yes!”</p><p>“Tell me you’re a naughty girl,” Tom requested after pulling away from the kiss and looked at her with eyes darkened by lust.</p><p>“I am a naughty girl,” Rory told him and moaned softly. She put her arms around him as she began to orgasm and whispered into his ear. “I am your naughty girl.”</p><p>“That you are,” Tom agreed with a sinister grin. He was happy about the fact that he had managed to satisfy her.</p><p>“Would you like me to-” Rory began to say as she touched his hard cock.</p><p>“No, it’s fine,” Tom assured her and removed her hand from himself. “I just want to lay down and enjoy the moment,” he said as he brought her into a hug and kissed her lovingly on top of her head. “After all, this is our first night together.”</p><p>“The first of many, I hope,” Rory replied with a smile.</p><p>“The first of many,” Tom agreed and grabbed her left hand to examine it. “What ring size are you?”</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. How Romantic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Following day, Tom had to drag Rory up from the blankets on the floor when it was time to get up for breakfast at the canteen. He was amused by her unwillingness to get up on time and smiled at how sombre she looked as she gathered her hair in a messy bun on her head and got herself dressed.</p><p>“I usually sleep past breakfast,” Rory told him as they went to stand in the queue to the canteen.</p><p>“I figured that much. That’s why you’re always late for work,” Tom concluded. “I usually get up early to avoid the morning rush.”</p><p>“Well, I suppose opposites attract,” Rory mumbled and groaned with a pained expression on her face as she reached behind her back to touch her bottom.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Tom asked her concernedly.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just sore from my meeting with Mister Cavill yesterday,” Rory replied.</p><p>“Right,” Tom replied, making a slight grimace as he imagined what it would have been like if she had actually gotten caned right before his eyes.</p><p>“You’re good at this,” Rory praised him in a discreet whisper.</p><p>“So are you,” Tom whispered back before pecking the top of her head lovingly. He meant it. Rory had changed her entire posture so she looked more tense than usual and moved gingerly like she was in actual pain. When she sat down on one of the metal chairs in the canteen, she breathed in sharply and squirmed uncomfortably.</p><p>Tom realised that he had seen this act before, plenty of times over the years, but he hadn’t given it much thought. He wondered quietly how many of those times she had been in real pain from an actual beating.</p><p>Commander Fowler walked up to them where they sat, and seemingly by chance, Henry walked past them at that moment. Rory glared darkly after her dear friend, pretending to hate him.</p><p>“Doctor Hiddleston, Miss Waters,” Commander Fowler greeted them as he stood straight backed with his hands behind his back. “How was your meeting with Mister Cavill yesterday?” he asked rather spitefully.</p><p>Rory scoffed in response as she shifted in her seat, while Tom again imagined the fictive caning and grimaced slightly in discomfort.</p><p>“It was,” Tom said and cleared his throat. “Excuse me. It was very thorough I would say.” Commander Fowler’s face lit up with malice at Tom’s words.</p><p>“Go on, Doctor Hiddleston, don’t hold back on the details,” Commander Fowler encouraged with a disgustingly satisfied grin as he sat down on the opposite side of the table.</p><p>“She got twenty strikes with the cane on the bare, Commander Fowler,” Tom said as instructed. “She needed to take a break in the middle of it because she couldn’t stay still. And then there was the blood,” he continued to explain, feeling sick to his stomach at the fictional beating.</p><p>“Blood?” Commander Fowler asked gloatingly.</p><p>“Yes, she bled a little bit towards the end. It was quite… disconcerting,” Tom told him reluctantly. He felt upset by how his detailed description seemed to excite the man before him. He could hear Rory sniffle from next to him and instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders, as if to protect her from something. This seemed to satisfy the commander even further.</p><p>“I bet you will think twice about insulting me another time,” Commander Fowler told Rory triumphantly.</p><p>“Yes, Commander Fowler. I’m sorry about my insolence,” Rory told him regretfully as she wiped her tears from her eyes and shifted in her seat again.</p><p>“You are forgiven, for now, Miss Waters,” Commander Fowler said with a charitable smile. He was far too happy for Tom’s liking.</p><p>“The man is a sadist,” Tom muttered through gritted teeth as soon as Commander Fowler was out of hearing.</p><p>“Apparently so,” Rory replied quietly. “I’ll make sure to be more careful around him in the continuation.”</p><p>“I’m relieved to hear that,” Tom told her and kissed the top of her head tenderly. “You need to be more careful in general, my darling.” Rory smiled up at him.</p><p>“So you keep telling me.”</p><p>As they worked in the lab investigating their collected samples, Rory yawned largely and complained over the fact that Tom had ruined her lie-in.</p><p>“You’re not supposed to have a lie-in every day. It’s good that you’re here on time for once,” Tom told her.</p><p>“On time? We got here fifteen minutes early,” Rory scoffed.</p><p>“You’re about twenty minutes late every single day, so don’t complain that you got to start early today. Now would you be so kind as to clean out the tubes and sterilize the instruments for me? I asked you to do that half an hour ago,” Tom told her decidedly.</p><p>“You’re such a slave driver,” Rory whined as she reluctantly got up from her seat to clean the equipment. “One would think that if you kiss your boss he might get off your back, but no, not you. You’re the boring kind that has to keep work professional.”</p><p>“I am indeed the boring kind that has to keep work professional,” Tom agreed with a smile as he continued to look into the microscope. He sighed as he noticed how Rory snuck up behind him and grabbed his ass. He simply pushed her hands off him as he continued to study the soil sample at hand. “There will be plenty of time for those kinds of things after work,” he told her.</p><p>“Boring,” Rory said and gave his perfectly rounded ass sound smack before heading to the sink to clean up the research equipment.</p><p>The workday continued in that spirit; Rory made advances and Tom parried them the best he could. He wouldn’t even let her kiss him, even though there were just the two of them in the lab.</p><p>After work, Tom brought Rory to see his friend Benedict who worked with engineering. Benedict was surprised to say the least when he found out that they were engaged and therefore needed to get hold of two rings.</p><p>“I can’t believe you’re engaged to Rory the Rebel,” Benedict said, causing both Rory and Tom to grimace slightly at the nickname that had been given to her. “How on earth did this happen?”</p><p>“I wanted to head out for a field trip, and one thing led to another, so now we’re going to have children together, and we thought, why not go all in and get married too while we’re at it?” Rory told him with a shrug.</p><p>“How romantic,” Benedict commented and laughed.</p><p>“It doesn’t sound too romantic when you put it like that,” Tom agreed, looking a bit bothered.</p><p>“Well, it’s pretty much what happened, isn’t it?” Rory objected unaffectedly.</p><p>“How I experienced it, something happened between us during that field trip,” Tom told her.</p><p>“Yes, of course,” Rory agreed. “We realised that we have some things in common in how we look at things. Like child rearing and the importance of family.”</p><p>“I see, so you’re marrying for practical reasons,” Benedict concluded. Tom looked uncomfortable. “Or do you love each other?” Benedict added curiously.</p><p>“How do you know if you love someone?” Rory questioned.</p><p>“You feel it,” Tom replied and Benedict nodded agreeingly.</p><p>“Let me phrase it like this instead; how do you feel about Tom?” Benedict asked.</p><p>“I feel like Tom is a genuinely good person. His heart is in the right place, and he’s the only man I can ever imagine having a child with,” Rory replied and smiled as she looked at Tom. He looked more at ease now and gladly returned the smile.</p><p>“That’s sweet,” Benedict said and turned to Tom. “And Tom, how do you feel about Rory?”</p><p>“I feel like Rory is a wonderful person who I want more of in my life. We are quite different, but I think we complement each other rather nicely. She makes me happy and I’m looking forward to getting to know her better, outside of work,” Tom replied, adding the last part as he gave Rory a significant look.</p><p>“He’s rather boring at work,” Rory told Benedict. “No kissing in the lab, Rory,” she said, imitating Tom in a dark voice. Benedict smiled at her comment, whereas Tom just shook his head at her poor imitation. Rory suppressed a smile.</p><p>“It sounds like you might be falling in love with each other,” Benedict told them cheerfully.</p><p>“Maybe we are,” Rory replied with a cryptic smile and pulled Tom down towards her with her hands around his neck and kissed him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Just an Assistant</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you fulfilling your part of the deal, Miss Waters?” Miss Nelson from the ethics board asked Rory. They were in Miss Nelson’s small office and Rory felt a bit claustrophobic as she sat there. She needed more space, open space. She needed to get out into the world again.</p><p>“I’m having sexual intercourse with Doctor Hiddleston on a regular basis, if that’s what you’re asking,” Rory replied straightforwardly, trying to ignore the pressing feeling over her chest.</p><p>“I see,” Miss Nelson replied and took down some notes on a paper on the metal desk before her. “How often do you have sex?” she questioned in a neutral voice.</p><p>“On a daily basis. Sometimes once and sometimes three times a day. It varies,” Rory responded honestly, smiling slightly as she thought about how embarrassed Tom probably would be if he was asked such a question.</p><p>“Very well, and is Doctor Hiddleston your only sexual partner at this moment in time?” Miss Nelson questioned.</p><p>“Yes, we’ve decided to be monogamous with each other. We’re getting married,” Rory explained and showed the woman her simple but elegant engagement ring. The woman looked at the ring and then at Rory.</p><p>“How did someone like you manage to convince such an honorable man to take your hand in marriage?” Miss Nelson questioned begrudgingly.</p><p>“Someone like me?” Rory asked with a frown.</p><p>“A rebellious and lazy misfit with no ambitions whatsoever,” Miss Nelson said disapprovingly. “You’ve been a lab assistant for seven years now, and what do you have to show for it, Miss Waters? Nothing. If you had any ambition, you should be a doctor by now, taking on your own apprentice. But you’re still just an assistant.”</p><p>Miss Nelson’s words echoed in Rory’s head after she left the small office. She was still just an assistant. Tom had encouraged her several times over the years to study for a doctorate, but she had been happy just the way it was. She liked being his lab assistant. Why did she have to advance in order to be regarded as worthy of respect?</p><p>A mischievous smirk appeared on Rory's face as a plan shaped in her mind. She would show Miss Nelson exactly what 'just an assistant' was capable of.</p><p>Following day was not a good day for Miss Nelson. As she opened her desk drawer, ink squirted all over her white shirt and as if that wasn't bad enough, there was a stench in her office whose source she couldn't find.</p><p>Practically bursting with anger, Miss Nelson marched down to Doctor Hiddleston's lab. He raised his eyebrows as she just burst into the lab without as much as a knock first.</p><p>"Where's that assistant of yours?" she demanded angrily. </p><p>"Right here," Rory replied innocently, peeking up from behind the worktop. </p><p>"What are you doing down there?" Tom asked her amusedly. </p><p>"Tying my shoes," Rory replied with the hint of a smile and stood up. "What can a simple lab assistant like myself do for the great Miss Nelson?"</p><p>"You ruined my shirt!" Miss Nelson told her brittly and motioned to her by now perfectly white, non-stained shirt.</p><p>"I don’t know what you're talking about," Rory replied, raising an eyebrow at the neatly dressed woman.</p><p>"Just look at it," Miss Nelson said and gazed down at her white shirt that was no longer ruined by ink stains. "What? It was just here, I swear. My shirt was just covered by ink."</p><p>"Maybe you fell asleep and dreamed it all?" Rory suggested. "Or you're hallucinating. In that case we should probably get you to Doctor Scott. He'll know what to do."</p><p>Miss Nelson huffed in response. "You did this! I don’t know how you did it, but you did this!" </p><p>"With all due respect, Miss Nelson, but there are no ink stains on your shirt. Is it possible that you just imagined it?" Doctor Hiddleston said with a concerned frown as he walked up to her and put an arm around her shoulders. He pulled out a chair for her to sit on. "Sometimes your mind can play tricks on you when you're under too much pressure," he said kindly as she sat down on the chair. </p><p>"Exactly, I once woke up thinking I had turned into an insect," Rory interjected, causing Tom to suppress a smile as he shook his head at her. </p><p>“Miss Waters, don’t just stand there,” he told her firmly. “Make yourself useful and get Miss Nelson some water.”</p><p>Rory bit her lip hard to suppress her laughter as she prepared a special glass of pleasantly cold water for Miss Nelson. She walked up to the woman and handed it over with as little emotion on her face as she could muster. She certainly couldn’t look as smug as she felt, because that would undoubtedly raise the woman’s suspicion. To Rory’s great surprise, Miss Nelson actually drank most of the water before handing tha glass back to her.</p><p>“I know I’m not imagining things, there must be some scientific explanation as to how this happened,” Miss Nelson insisted.</p><p>“Not that I know of,” Tom replied with a frown. “Are you sure you’re alright, Miss Nelson? Perhaps you should take the rest of the day off and try to get some rest,”he suggested concernedly.</p><p>“No, I’m going back to my office,” Miss Nelson told him decidedly. “And you’re both coming with me. I want you to see for yourself what that unruly assistant of yours has done.”</p><p>Rory bit her lip again to hold back the laughter for what was about to come. When they got to the office, the stench Miss Nelson had felt earlier was mostly gone. There was only a weak hint of the former smell, which was easy for both Rory and Tom to ignore.</p><p>“What was I supposed to see?” Tom asked confusedly as they stood inside the small office.</p><p>“The stench! It’s gone now, but I know she’s the one who did it!” Miss Nelson accused.</p><p>“I can’t feel anything, are you sure you didn’t not just imagine it? I mean, someone as important as yourself must be under a whole lot of pressure,” Rory told her.</p><p>“I know I didn’t just imagine it!” Miss Nelson shouted at her, completely losing her temper. “You are the worst, sneakiest, most insolent and unruly young lady I've ever had the misfortune to meet! Damn you, Miss Waters!”</p><p>“Miss Nelson!” Doctor Hiddleston chided, seemingly shocked by her use of words. “You have no proof that Miss Waters is responsible for any of the things you think you have seen or smelt here today. I suggest that you get some rest and leave Miss Waters alone, unless you have some concrete proof that she has actually done anything wrong to you.”</p><p>Rory looked at Tom in shock at how he had spoken up on her behalf. She wanted to kiss him right there and then, but stopped herself.</p><p>Once they got back to the lab, Tom crossed his arms and looked sternly at Rory. “Disappearing ink, huh?” he said as he shook his head amusedly at her. “And a temporary stink bomb? How did you manage that?”</p><p>“A secret recipe of mine,” Rory said smugly.</p><p>“I see. I really hope you didn’t put anything into her water as well,” he said warningly. Rory bit her lip in response and Tom sighed heavily. “Rory, what did you do?”</p><p>“I was thinking of giving her methylene blue, but that would obviously turn the water blue. So I settled for some laxatives instead. I figured she was constipated and that’s why she’s so angry all the time. I’m sure it’ll help her,” Rory told him with a shrug.</p><p>“If she gets dehydrated or has any other complications, I might just tell on you,” Tom told her sternly, giving her a disapproving look. “I’m dead serious, Rory. Never covertly give anyone laxatives again, especially if you don’t know their medical history. It could be dangerous, and most importantly, it’s not nice,” he chided her.</p><p>“She wasn’t very nice to me yesterday. In fact, she’s never been nice to me. So why should I be nice to her?” Rory questioned. Tom sighed and walked up to her.</p><p>“I’m sorry that she’s not nice to you,” he told her sympathetically as he embraced her lovingly. “I truly am. I’m just worried that antics such as these will get you into some real trouble some day.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think.</p>
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